During the weeks leading up to the holiday vacation the kindergarten explored clay. We had two clay explore days where the students made whatever they wanted with the understanding that the clay was going to be squished and made into something else. Exploring clay without keeping the art work gives the students the freedom to really explore the properties of clay. There are no expectations around completion, and the rules and restrictions around clay production don't apply. They can make things that are very thin or very thick and there are no worries whether parts are joined properly or not.
At the end of the clay explore days, everyone made a coil to be added to a class coil pot (or pile of snakes, depending on who you talk to!).
After our explore time, each kindergartner worked on the basic hand building skills of making a pinch pot and rolling out a small slab. Both of these techniques will be built on each year they are at GEMS.
It was great to send each student home with such colorful and beautiful clay art!
